Adjustable clip for earrings having a single tooth thread means



April 6, 1965 N. J. SACCOCCIO 3,176,475

ADJUSTABLE CLIP F OR EARRINGS HAVING A SINGLE TOOTH THREAD MEANS Filed Aug. 14, 1962 INV EN TOR. fizaieflmlfaccaaca'a BY g ATTORNEYS United States Patent ADJUSTABLE CLIP FOR EGS HAVHJG A SINGLE TOOTH THREAD BEANS Nazarene J. Saccoccio, Cranston, R.I., assignor to Aro- Sac Inc., Providence, RI, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Aug. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 216,888

3 Claims. (Cl. 63-14) This invention relates to ornamental jewelry manufacture, and in particular to improvements in earring-type clips for personal wear.

One of the objects of the improvement is to provide a spring-type earring clip which, after it has been attached to an ear-lobe, may have its gripping force capable of being adjusted progressively and independently of its normal spring-applied clamping pressure whereby the clip will grip the ear with sufiicient force to prevent it from becoming dislodged, but without causing uncomfortable pinching of the ear-lobe.

Another object of the improvement is to provide an earring clip of the type specified which is of simple construction, economical to manufacture, and durable in use without requiring screw-threaded bearing apertures therein for an adjusting screw for regulating the force of the gripping action to render it comfortable for the wearer.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specification wherein is described a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of an earring clip embody-mg the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the earring clip shown in FIG. 1 depicting the hinged clamping jaw member as moved to open position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detailed cross-sectional view in enlarged scale illustrating the upper portion of the hinged clamping jaw member of the device shown in FIG. 1, illustrated as constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational View of a modified construction of the device; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on line 66 of FIG. 5, and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In accordance with the prevailing mode, hinged springoperated earring clips carrying jewels and other ornaments often cause annoyance to the wearer or become lost because no means are provided for adjustment of the clamping pressure in accordance with the thickness of the ear-lobe.

Such prior earring clips depend solely on the strength of a leaf spring for operating the gripping means and when the lobe is relatively thick the gripping force is too severe and results in pinching the ear with discomfort to the wearer. In the other hand, if the ear-lobe is relatively thin, the gripping pressure is too weak to hold fast and the earring may drop off. Also, the force in the spring in such devices frequently varies either when it is new, or in the course of continued use.

The present invention overcomes the above defects or bearing for the screw, the present improvement contem-' 3,176,475 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 i ice plates use of aninexpensive plain adjusting screw comprising one or more pierced holes and a tooth-like prong constructed integral with the bearing and engageable between adjacent threads of the screw to cooperate therewith to effect adjustment thereof relatively of said clamping member or jaw. V 7

Referring to the present drawings, and more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, one preferred form of construction is shown therein with the earring generally designated by the numeral 10 and provided with two opposed relatively movable clamping members or jaws 21 and 14 pivoted together at their lower terminal portions by means of a transverse pin 15 suitably secured therein.

The jaw 12 constitutes the fixed clamping element of the clip structure and may be made from flat wire of suitable cross-sectional width, or from sheet-metal stock struck up and shaped in dies to provide a J-shaped body having a lower loop portion 16 of ovate or circularly curved formati-on extended upwardly in a shorter arm 17. The movable clamping jaw 14 is pivotally mounted on the up per end of the arm 17 referred to above.

The upper end portion of the jaw 12 may be mounted with a jewel, pearl 18, or other ornament suitably affixed thereto and formed on the opposite side with a circular pad 19 for contact with the ear-lobe.

The pivoted clamping member or jaw 14 may be constructed from sheet-metal stock struck up and shaped in dies with its lower end portion bifurcated to provide two axially-alined spaced hinge-ears 26, one only being shown in FIGS. land 2, pierced with alined holes 21 (FIG. 5) for the pivot pin 15. A leaf spring 23 is clamped to the jaw member 14 by bent lugs 24 and with its end bearing against the end of the arm 17. The spring 23 acts to rock said member 14 about the pivot pin 15 beyond dead-center to resiliently urge it toward the fixed jaw 12; such a form of construction being usual as well known in the art.

Mounted adjacent the upper end of the pivoted clamping member or jaw 14 is a transversely-disposed adjusting screw 25 slidably held in smooth bores 32 and 33 to provide a bearing therefor as best shown in the enlarged view, FIG. 3. The upper end portion of the jaw member 14 is bent around by a suitable swaging operation, 'or otherwise, to form a depending, generally C-shaped loop 27 with its end engaging against the upper portion of the jaw 14. a

By this construction dual bearing bores 32 and 33 are provided for the adjusting screw 25. Each side of the 'C- shaped loop 27 may be drilled, or pierced by a punching operation when it is formed in dies, to provide the plain v The screw 25 is disposed in substantially co-axial alinement with the convexly faced contact pad 19 on the stationary clamping jaw 12. At the inwardly directed end of the screw 25 is a convexly faced pad 29 for contact with the inner side of the ear-lobe. A knob 30 having a knurled periphery is provided at the outer end of the screw 25 for manually rotating it in either direction as desired to regulate the pressure of the pads 19 and 29 against the ear. I

In order to effect the required longitudinal adjustment of the screw 25 transversely of the clamping member or jaw 14, an upwardly projecting tooth-like element 34 is provided on the C-shaped loop portion 27 of the jaw for engaging with the threads 28 of the screw 25. To provide for a substantial extent of engagement with the threads sava es on the screw 25 the so-called tooth 34 is formed with an arcuate beveled edge partly encircling the screw and engaging between two adjacent threads thereon. Also, with a preferred form of tooth construction the engaging edge of the tooth 34 extends ata slight angle or helically to correspond with the pitch of the screw threads 28.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form-of construction of the invention wherein the fixed jaw 12 is essentially the same as that shown in FIG. 1 and above described.

As an alternative form of construction, a different type of jaw 40, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is used in place of the jaw member 14. The jaw 40 has a shorter loop 27 at its upper end provided with the pair of alined bearings 32', 33 for the screw 25. The means for engaging the threads 28 of the screw 25 is embodied in a modified form of leaf spring 39 which has an arcuately recessed edge 38, FIG. 6, beveled on its sides to accurately engage between adjacent threads 28. on the screw 25.- As previously explained in connection with the spring 23, FIG. 1, the

spring 39 is carried by the hinged clamping member or jaw 40 and normally biases the jaw toward the opposite stationary jaw 12 for gripping the ear-lobe therebetween.

While the invention is herein shown as embodied in two illustrated forms of construction, it is to be understood that various other modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts of the device without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope thereof as expressed in the following claims. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

1. In a clip for earrings and the like, a stationary jaw member comprising means for contact with the earalobe,

a movable jaw member pivotally connected to said sta-. tionary jaw member, a leaf spring connected to said movable jaw member and bearing against said stationary jaw member for urging said movable jaw member. toward said stationary jaw member, a loop formed on the end of said pivoted jaw member with its opposite parallel sides pierced by a pair of smooth bores disposed in axial alinement, a

screw rotatable and slidable in said bores, said loop having its terminal portion directed toward said screw and formed with integral tooth means at its end shaped to provide an arcuate beveled edge located adjacent one of said bores and extending helically in engagement with one side of said screw between adjacent threads thereof,

said tooth means normally acting to hold said screw from sliding in said'bores, said screw also being manually rotatable to move it in opposite directions axially of said 4 bores for adjusting the amount of pressure applied to bind the earring to the ear.

2. In a clip for earrings and the like, a fixed jaw member carrying means for contact with the lobe of a persons ear, a movable jaw member pivotally connected to said fixed jaw member, a spring extending between said movable jaw member and said fixed jaw member and'arranged to urge said movable jaw member toward said fixed jaw member, said pivoted jaw member formed with a looped terminal portion having its opposite spaced sides pierced by a pair of smooth bores disposed in axial alinement, a screw rotatable and axially slidable in said bores, contact means at one end of said screw adapted to cooperate with said contact means on said fixed jaw member for engaging the opposite side of said ear-lobe, said looped portion of said movable jaw member having its terminal portion projecting toward said screw and shaped to provide a sharp edged tooth means with said sharp edge in engagement with one side of said screw between adjacent threads thereof, said tooth means normally holdingsaid screw from sliding in said bores, and means at the outer end of said screw for manually rotating it to slide said screw in opposite directionsfor adjusting the amount of pressure applied to bind the earring to the ear.

3. A clip for earrings and the like as defined in claim 2 having said spring fastened to said movable jaw member with its opposite end bearing against one end of said fixed jaw member to cause it to swing said movable jaw member towards said fixed jaw member for applying pressure on the ear-lobe in accordance with the adjustment of said screw.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,260,147 10/41 Lunderberg et al. 36 2,389,261 11/45 Land l5121. 2,400,513 5/46 Jellinek 63-144 2,582,580 1/52 Bedford 8536 2,882,702 4/59 Goldberg et a1 63'--14.5 2,961,854 "11/60 Kettell.

3,037,367 6/62 Ebertin 63-144 FOREIGN PATENTS 178,763 4/22 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CLIP FOR EARRINGS AND THE LIKE, A STATIONARY JAW MEMBER COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONTACT WITH THE EAR-LOBE, A MOVABLE JAW MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID STATIONARY JAW MEMBER, A LEAF SPRING CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE JAW MEMBER AND BEARING AGAINST SAID STATIONARY JAW MEMBER FOR URGING SAID MOVABLE JAW MEMBER TOWARD SAID STATIONARY JAW MEMBER, A LOOP FORMED ON THE END OF SAID PIVOTED JAW MEMBER WITH ITS OPPOSITE PARALLEL SIDES PIECED BY A PAIR OF SMOOTH BORES DISPOSED IN AXIAL ALINEMENT, A SCREW ROTATABLE AND SLIDABLE IN SAID BORES, SAID LOOP HAVING ITS TERMINAL PORTION DIRECTED TOWARD SAID SCREW AND FORMED WITH INTEGRAL TOOTH MEANS AT ITS END SHAPED TO PROVIDE AN ARCUATE BEVELED EDGE LOCATED ADJACENT ONE OF SAID BORES AND EXTENDING HELICALLY IN ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE SIDE OF SAID SCREW BETWEEN ADJACENT THREADS THEREOF, 